The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1887-12-29

preacher who would agitate men out Of
moral apathy, and arouse them to asense Of
personal duty, must employ it. The great
diyines d. it world, Chrysostom, Whit
field, Wesley, Spurgeon, Beecher- have
been t. sential!y great actors teachers by
action
''i g incarnate exhibition OF the ideals
whlci the soul ustS'-there we have the
true and worthy ideal Of the drama And
it has in these last days neither lost sight
of it, nor descended to the effort to pro-
duce "scenic effect though this were
not wholly a mean aim. Has DR.. Strong
ever seen Booth and Barrett, Frederick
Warde, or Henry Irving, present one of
Sbakespeare's plays-say Hamlet or Rich
ard III? Or has he ever seen such an
actor as Jno. 5. Clarke in Goldsmith's
classic comedy, ''She Stoops to Conquer"2
In none Of these is there attempt Al
''scenic effect" The scenery. just suffic-
lent to represent accurately the place
where the Incidents of the drama occur,
is subortiinated to the high aim of inter
pretiug the characters created by the mas
ter minds Of the world.
| know of 10 better answer to Dr.
StrongS estimate of the ideal OF the
drama, than simple reference to the
flattering reception which has been given
Mr.. Richard Manstield'S presentation on
the American Stage, Of Robert Louis Ste
vens0n's unique ''Strange Case of DR..
Jekyel and Mr.. Hyde" This drama strives
at no ''scenic effect" 1t turns on great
! psychological principle in man, the dual
nature in him: the good and the evil. DR..
| Jekyel and Mr.. Hyde, While two men, are
vet one man; Jekyel the good, Hyde the
| Evil, impulse ever at strife in this strange
Jekyel-Hyde being, who, though retaining
one consciousness assumes two shapes, ac
cordlng as the good or evil predominateS.
When the good is dominant, he is Dr.
Jekyel. having the appearance Of a hu
name, cultured physician; when the evil
/ is dominant, he is Mr.. Hyde, with the
mien of veritHbe devil in the flesh.
Coming out from this play, gentlemen
! just in front of me said to lady whom
| he was escorting, what seemed like an
echo TO my thoughts: ''Theres moral
| in that play, if you take it right"
The ideal of the stage is still lofty, and
| towards that ideal its true forms are ever
! aspiring.
In regard to DR.. Strong's beautiful illus
tration of that striking rostulate of Psy-
! chology enunciated by Bishop Butler in
/ his ANALOGY" nothing need be said. This
! is what Mr.. Strong says on that point
g glance at two of the great laws of
/ life: first, that all active powers are
strengthened by exercise; and, second,
that the power Of feeling, which is passive
! is exhausted, impaired by exercise The
| blacksmith's arm and hand illustrate both
laws. The muscles have grown strong 10y
use, but the palm, which was once tender,
has grown caIious Acting has increased
! the power 10 act, which feeling has de
creased the power to feel.' Nothing, | re
peat, need be said concerning this. The
postulate is not questioned only its appli-
cation. DR.. Strong's estimate of the ideal
OF the drama that its aim, whether high
/ or low, is to reach the feelings by means
Of ''scenic effect. l think have shown to
| be incorrect. The ideal of the drama is
not to reach the feelings by means of see
ME effect. Then his application to the
drama Of this poStulate that the power of
feeling, which is passive, grows weak by
exercise, which will not hold.
| repeat that this article is not concern
ed about the'accidents of the stage.
write because | want to get at the truth of
the matter, which | certainly cannot do
by reading the sweeping assertions made
by the clergy concerning the stage, apro-
pos of the Gambler Abbott affair.
WALTER 2. STRADLET